The directive follows Official Dispatch No. 03/CD-TTg dated January 13, 2026, issued by the Prime Minister, calling for continued focus on addressing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Accordingly, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Agriculture and Environment, the municipal Department of Justice, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Public Security, the city Border Guard Command, the fisheries port authorities, coastal local administrations and Con Dao Special Zone were instructed to strictly implement assigned tasks in a timely and effective manner.
The municipal Department of Agriculture and Environment was assigned to take the lead in coordinating with relevant agencies to draft a report for submission to the Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, and to consult the Party Committee of the HCMC People's Committee on proposing measures against IUU fishing to the Standing Board of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee.
The Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee emphasized the need for sufficient resource allocation, decisive and coordinated implementation, and clear accountability for each agency in sanctioning violations and completing IUU case files. All enforcement actions must comply fully with legal regulations, ensuring accuracy, transparency and completeness.
Relevant agencies must review all completed cases to ensure legal validity and procedural compliance. Any improper handling must be promptly rectified, with responsibility clearly assigned, particularly to agency heads. The city strictly prohibits premature or inaccurate reporting of enforcement results.
Concurrently, the city is promoting the application of information technology in managing fishing activities, while reviewing and adjusting statistical and data reconciliation methods for fishing vessels entering and exiting ports to ensure inter-agency consistency and avoid overlapping or inaccurate data. The inspection of seafood shipments destined for the European Union (EU) will also be conducted in accordance with government instructions.
Regarding the Ho Chi Minh City Border Guard Command, the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee requested continued close coordination with the municipal Department of Agriculture and Environment to control fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, ensure the synchronized operation of monitoring systems and electronic logbooks, and tightly manage fishing activities to prevent new violations.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Agriculture and Environment has been assigned to oversee implementation and report consolidated results to the municipal People’s Committee by February 5, 2026.
